Fifty-seven patients with penetrating cardiac or pericardial trauma were treated at
the Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, University of Stellenbosch at the Tygerberg
Hospital during a 6 1/2 year period from June 1971 to January 1978. Eleven patients
were treated by aspiration alone because tamponade was mild, or because they were
seen between 24 hours and 3 weeks after injury. Six patients underwent late elective
surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass had to be employed in four patients to correct intracardiac
lesions. All other patients underwent emergency operations 8 minutes to 2 hours after
admission to hospital. The hospital mortality was 4 of 57 patients (7 %), lower than
rates reported in other series. Some selected cases will be described more fully and
our present plan of management is outlined.
Penetrating cardiac injury - Pericardial perforation - Emergency surgery
